IRB
Meaning of IRB: An IRB is a review committee that evaluates and monitors clinical research to protect the rights and safety of study participants.
Definition of IRB
An IRB, Institutional Review Board, is a committee responsible for reviewing and approving the plan for a clinical research study before it begins, and for continuing to oversee the study as it proceeds.
An IRB typically includes scientists, physicians, and other professionals, along with at least one member from outside the scientific or medical field, reflecting a range of perspectives in evaluating a study. Its central purpose is to protect the rights, safety, and welfare of the people who take part in research.
An IRB reviews a proposed study for scientific soundness, checks that risks to participants are reasonable in relation to expected benefits, and ensures that adequate safeguards, including a clear informed consent process, are in place before research involving people can proceed at a given institution.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The clinical trial protocol was reviewed and approved by the institution's IRB before enrollment began.
Good to know
IRB approval addresses the ethical and safety oversight of a study rather than its scientific outcome, so an approved study can still ultimately produce negative or inconclusive results.